SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury's has been fined #17,000 for selling cheese and pork pies that were past their use-by dates in its Coventry city centre store....

SUPERMARKET giant Sainsbury's has been fined #17,000 for selling cheese and pork pies that were past their use-by dates in its Coventry city centre store.

The company pleaded guilty at Coventry Magistrates Court to 10 food-labelling offences and was ordered to pay #5,378 prosecution costs. All the offences related to Sainsbury's supermarket in Trinity Street.

The court heard that on November 9 last year, Coventry City Council trading standards officer Fiona Needham visited the store on a routine inspection.

She found seven packets of Sainsbury's organic mild cheddar eight days past their use-by dates, eight packets of white stilton two days past its use-by dates and two packs of Sainsbury's economy pork pies one day past their use-by dates.

She also found three packets of gorgonzola piccante cheese one day past their use-by dates, one prawn and mayonnaise sandwich one day past its use-by date, one Sainsbury's steak and kidney pudding one day past its use-by date, one Rolo dessert three days past its use-by date and two organic fruit compotes nine days past their use-by dates.

On November 15 the supermarket was displaying Thai curry sauce one day past its use-by date and on November 25 the super-market sold sheep's yoghurt also one day past its use-by date.

Miss Needham said: "Sainsbury's said the store had a system in place but it wasn't working. The store said it has now put the problem right."

Manager of trading standards David Burke said: "There were quite a few things wrong here and we are pleased the courts viewed it so seriously."